1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to radiator covers and in particular to a protective housing for strip type heaters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applicant is aware of the following patents which are believed to disclose the most pertinent and relevant art,
U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,847 to T. L. Arnold discloses a radiator cover fabricated from a single length of sheet metal bent to provide a vertical forward panel 9 and upwardly inclined top panel 11 and a short downturned upper, rear panel 12, said cover being secured relative to a pair of vertically disposed strip heaters 7 by means of upper and lower elongate bolts 13 and 15 which secure portions of the panel to and in abutting relationship with the radiation fins of the strip heater. Any impact to the radiator cover is transmitted directly to and absorbed by the comparatively fragile radiation fins 8 which are secured to and carried by the conduits through which the heating media passes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,652 to H. J. Williams, Jr. discloses a radiator cover which, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, comprises an aluminum extrusion 10 which defines a front wall 12, an upwardly and rearwardly extending upper wall 13 and a bottom wall 14. The upper and lower edges of a back panel 15 are received within elongate slots in the top and bottom walls 13 and 14 for mounting the back panel in spaced relationship with respect to the forward surface of wall W. The front wall is disposed in contacting relationship with panel 33 that is disposed in overlying contacting relationship with the forward edges of each of a plurality of sheet aluminum radiation fins 32, whereby any impact to front wall 12 is transmitted directly to the forward edges of said radiation fins.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,407 to T. L. Arnold discloses a radiator housing for a strip heater which comprises an elongate tube 15 to which a plurality of radiation fins 16 are secured. The front wall 19 of the radiator cover is disposed in contacting relationship with the forward edges of the various radiation fins 16, and the lower end of said front wall terminates above and in spaced relationship with reference to the upper surface of floor 7. The cover member includes an upwardly and rearwardly inclined top wall 20 which terminates in a downturned lip 21 which is loosely received within the elongate groove of a hanger strip 13 which is secured to wall 9 by means of nails 14. Impact against forward wall 18 of the cover is transmitted directly to the radiation fins 16.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,795 to J. C. McNabney discloses a strip heater which is provided with a protective cover having an integrally formed vertical panel 20 and upwardly and rearwardly inclined top panel 18. The uppermost end of the top panel is shaped as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 whereby to provide a hinged connection with a horizontal mounting strip 8 which is secured to and carried by vertical wall 2. The lower end of the forward panel is provided with an inturned rearwardly extending portion which terminates in a depending lip 32 which is adapted to engage notched portions 30 of horizontal arms 28 which project forwardly beneath the strip heater. The depending lip 32 of the forward panel 20 is adapted to be received within notches 30 for releasably locking the cover member in a closed, spaced relationship with respect to the strip heaters. The cover member may be pivoted upwardly about its upper end for providing access to the strip heater.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,475 to W. Gronwoldt discloses a wall-mounted baseboard housing for an electric heater, wherein the housing includes a rear wall 1 which is secured to the forward surface of a vertical wall, said rear wall, as illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a substantially horizontal forwardly extending panel 12, the rear end of which defines an elongate groove 13 into which the downturned lip 18 of the top panel 17 of a combination top and front wall member is received. The lower end of front wall 5 is inturned at 20 whereby to define an elongate channel for the reception of downturned portion 16 of a slider and holder bracket 2 of the heater tube 16 and its associated radiation fins. The housing comprises 3 separate elements 1, 2 and 5, each of which are fabricated from cast material.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,551 to E. G. Powell discloses a radiator enclosure which is hung from its upper end from a mounting bracket 9 which is suitably secured relative to a vertical wall 5. The plurality of latches are provided for facilitating the mounting and/or removal of the enclosure relative to a strip heater, which is located above and in spaced relationship with respect to the floor of the space to be heated. The bottom portion of the elongate tube and radiation fins of the strip heater are open and exposed, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,361 to E. R. Walker, et al, disloses a pair of strip heaters 10 and 11 which are housed within a cover member which includes a substantially horizontal top panel and a substantially vertical front panel which includes openings for the in passage of air currents. The rear end of the upper panel terminates in a downturned lip which it can be assumed is anchored to the forward surface of the wall along which the strip heaters extend thereby providing a horizontal surface upon which a person can stand or upon which various articles may be stacked. The front wall is disposed in spaced relationship with respect to the forward edges of the radiation fins, however, since the lower end of the front wall merely abuts the upper surface of the floor, any appreciable impact on the front wall will drive it rearwardly into and against the radiation fins.
The following patents disclose various types of radiator covers, none of which are as relevant to the disclosure of the present invention as those hereinabove discussed: U.S. Pat. No. 2,405,839 to J. Ledwinka, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,287 to H. J. Weber, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,825 to A. J. Zeitler; U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,747 to R. N. Trane, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,393 to D. W. Quirk; U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,671 to R. W. Kritzer; U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,786 to J. C. McNabney.
Applicant is unaware of any prior out covers which have been designed for use with a strip-heater for the purpose of providing a rugged protective housing for a strip-heater which will effectively shield the conductor tube and radiation fins from damage, and which can be associated with existing strip-heater installations without effecting or altering said installations. The subject protective housing is secured directly to the floor and wall along which a strip-heater extends whereby to be entirely free of any contact with the strip-heater which it completely houses.